Calculating Drug Doses
General - (correct Answer) - The Veterinarian will prescribe the dosage at which the drug is to be
administered. We need to know the difference between dose and dosage.
Dose - (correct Answer) - Amount of medication (quantity) given at one point in time.
Dosage - (correct Answer) - Rate to administer the drug based on a unit of body weight.
Dose vs. Dosage - (correct Answer) - The quantity of drug to be delivered to a patient is called the dose.
A dosage rate expressed in say milligrams per kilogram is multiplied by the animal's weight in kilograms
to determine the dose. The dose is then divided by the amount (concentration) of the drug in the
pharmaceutic form (tablet, solution, etc.) to determine the actual amount of the pharmaceutic form to
be administered. The dose is always given as a single unit.
The dosage is set up as a fraction with the animal's body weight unit in the denominator (lower value) so
that it will cancel out the unit of the body weight. This is the method used in basic high-school algebra
techniques to manipulate the equation to solve for X. This is called the "cancel-out" method so named
because it uses multiplication of fractions set up so that units in the numerators (top part of the fraction)
cancel out the same units in the denominators (bottom part of the fraction), leaving only the units
required for the answer.
Dosage Equation - (correct Answer) - Dosage = mass of drug / body wt unit
eq. 10 mg/kg
Dose Equation - (correct Answer) - DOSE = dosage rate x animal's wt. / drug conc.
Example Dose Equation Question - (correct Answer) - If we give a 25 kg dog a dosage of 10mg/kg of a
drug at a concentration of 50mg per tablet, what is the dog's dose for this drug?
10mg/kg x 25 kg / 50 mg/tab = 10 x = = 5 tabs = dose
Dose Versus Dosage - (correct Answer) - The terms "dose" and "dosage" seem to be used
interchangeably in medicine.
Technically, a dose is the amount of drug that is administered at one time to the patient. Thus 1 ml or 2
tablets are considered doses for an animal. That means a dose is stated in units of mass (ml, ounces, g,
mg, units, tablets, drops, capsules, etc.).
General - (correct Answer) - The Veterinarian will prescribe the dosage at which the drug is to be
administered. We need to know the difference between dose and dosage.
Dose - (correct Answer) - Amount of medication (quantity) given at one point in time.
Dosage - (correct Answer) - Rate to administer the drug based on a unit of body weight.
Dose vs. Dosage - (correct Answer) - The quantity of drug to be delivered to a patient is called the dose.
A dosage rate expressed in say milligrams per kilogram is multiplied by the animal's weight in kilograms
to determine the dose. The dose is then divided by the amount (concentration) of the drug in the
pharmaceutic form (tablet, solution, etc.) to determine the actual amount of the pharmaceutic form to
be administered. The dose is always given as a single unit.
The dosage is set up as a fraction with the animal's body weight unit in the denominator (lower value) so
that it will cancel out the unit of the body weight. This is the method used in basic high-school algebra
techniques to manipulate the equation to solve for X. This is called the "cancel-out" method so named
because it uses multiplication of fractions set up so that units in the numerators (top part of the fraction)
cancel out the same units in the denominators (bottom part of the fraction), leaving only the units
required for the answer.
Dosage Equation - (correct Answer) - Dosage = mass of drug / body wt unit
eq. 10 mg/kg
Dose Equation - (correct Answer) - DOSE = dosage rate x animal's wt. / drug conc.
Example Dose Equation Question - (correct Answer) - If we give a 25 kg dog a dosage of 10mg/kg of a
drug at a concentration of 50mg per tablet, what is the dog's dose for this drug?
10mg/kg x 25 kg / 50 mg/tab = 10 x = = 5 tabs = dose
Dose Versus Dosage - (correct Answer) - The terms "dose" and "dosage" seem to be used
interchangeably in medicine.
Technically, a dose is the amount of drug that is administered at one time to the patient. Thus 1 ml or 2
tablets are considered doses for an animal. That means a dose is stated in units of mass (ml, ounces, g,
mg, units, tablets, drops, capsules, etc.).
